For a bribe, everything gets through Chechen checkpointsRuslan Isayev, North Caucausus – As part of checkpoint inspections throughout Chechnya, Russian Interior Ministry inspectors try to pass any checkpoint of their choice armed with guns and explosives. It seems that anyone and anything can get through these checkpoints for money.
This is no secret to local citizens who, along with local officials, constantly complain about this, particularly about the Kavkaz-1 checkpoint at the Chechen-Ingush border where special tariffs have been established---- 50 rubles for all buses, 10 rubles for cars, and 50 rubles for people without passports.
Chechen officials, including head of the Moscow-backed Chechen administration Akhmad Kadyrov, have often spoken out about the countless breaches at the checkpoints, yet nothing has changed. Some human rights activists believe the army purposely does not fight corruption because it often lacks money to pay servicemen’s wages.
These inspections began only after Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the low efficiency of the checkpoints.
(O/E,T) |
